Twenty-First Century Chicago

Twenty-First Century Chicago investigates the social, economic, political, and governmental conditions of Chicago in this century. While traditional anthologies on urban politics comprise stilted journal articles that place far too much emphasis on statistics, this anthology adopts a unique approach. Although it does incorporate the writings of preeminent scholars on the city of Chicago, the focus is on first-hand accounts: speeches by politicians, newspaper stories, editorials by journalists, memoirs and biographies and little known research reports advocating change. Covering metropolitan Chicago as a whole, this volume underscores the city's efforts in recent years to establish itself as a global metropolitan region and highlights the most pressing issues Chicago is facing to create a positive future in these challenging times.

Dick Simpson is the author of numerous books, journal articles, book chapters, and documentary films. He is former alderman of the 44th Ward of Chicago (1971-1979) who led the opposition bloc in the Chicago City Council against Mayors Richard J. Daley and Michael Bilandic. He is Professor and former head of the Political Science Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago and has won the highest teaching awards available at UIC, in addition to the American Political Science Association’s Pi Sigma Alpha Teaching Award. His former books on Chicago include Rogues, Rebels, and Rubber Stamps: The Politics of the Chicago City Council from 1863 to the Present and Chicago’s Future in a Time of Transition.

Constance A. Mixon is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Urban Studies Program at Elmhurst College. Prior to joining Elmhurst College, she earned a tenured Professorship of Political and Social Sciences at the City Colleges of Chicago, where she also served as a Dean of Instruction and Director of the Honors and Illinois Scholar Programs. In 2001, she was named the Illinois Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Professor Mixon provides political analysis for Chicago news programs, including local NBC and WGN affiliates, and has moderated numerous political programs for Chicago’s public television station, WYCC.

Melissa Mouritsen Zmuda is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Illinois at Chicago and an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Dominican University. Her dissertation will focus on politics in Chicago’s suburbs. She is a former Alderman’s assistant and building and zoning consultant. She has done extensive research in Chicago politics and most recently co-authored Continuing the Rubber Stamp Council and Chicago and Illinois: Leading the Pack in Corruption which are reprinted in this book.